Legal highs go back to maker

David Young at Skin Graft has four boxes of synthetic cannabis to send back to the manufacturers.

Thousands of dollars in synthetic cannabis is being returned to its manufacturer by one Rotorua shop ahead of an imminent ban.

Skin Graft owner David Young said staff had boxed up five packages, with about $20,000 of legal highs, to be couriered yesterday following the Government's announcement on Sunday that products would be banned until they could be proven low-risk.

There are four shops in the CBD with interim licences issued by the Ministry of Health under the Psychoactive Substances Act.

Mr Young said that, while the announcement was a surprise, he supported the stance taken by the Government.

"At least it will be proven safe," he said. "There are things on the market which aren't safe, like alcohol."

He said it was too early to say what impact the blanket ban would have on retailers but he expected jobs - across the city and New Zealand - to be lost as a result. "It will affect us quite a bit. Who knows how many jobs are going to be lost across the country? A lot of the manufacturers will have to close down. We'll have to see what happens [before we make any decisions]. We've had a few people in today who didn't know about the news."

He said he expected people to start stockpiling but he has already prepared for the ban, with five boxes returned to the manufacturer yesterday. The boxes contained about $20,000 in stock, which he said would have lasted Skin Graft "for months".

Kevin Stephens, who owns Adult World on Eruera St, said synthetic cannabis products made up only a small percentage of sales. He said he would not be returning stock but instead expected to sell all remaining products between his three stores - his others are in Hamilton and Tauranga.

National Poisons Centre toxicologist Leo Schep told Radio New Zealand psychiatric and addiction services needed to prepare for an influx of people dealing with legal high withdrawal symptoms.

A police spokesperson said: "Police have been working with the community to mitigate any possible harm caused by the sale of legal highs. The introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act in 2013 helped us address several concerns, including the risk to health, involvement by vulnerable young persons, addiction and crime problems to support habits.

"We welcome any legislative changes which support this work and will be working closely with the Ministry of Health to implement these."

The other two stores which sell synthetic cannabis in Rotorua, Wild Things and the Special Discounter, could not be reached for comment.